Our good friend Jim Kay led the night off with a lovely version of Charlie Patton's "Pony Blues". Then came the always wonderful Milwaukee Slim. Next up was Reverend Raven from the Chain Smokin' Alter Boys. Rick's got a busy schedule traveling all over the world playing the blues, but when his schedule allows he still comes by to say "hello". Last night he played some fine Muddy Waters style slide. The all-time highlight of the night last night was Joe Cool's version of the Impressions featuring Jerry Butler's, "Your Precious Love." Then Kenny J., Father John and Misha from the Blue Wagon Band showed up after their rehearsal. Kenny J. is everyone's favorite guitar player. He can't play a wrong note, and last night he was playing all the right notes good and loud! Misha had a paper to write for school but he stayed to the end of the night jamming the last set with Big Pete, Joe Cool, Joe the guitar player and even Clean Head Mike on guitar! Misha is a young and invincible iron man!
Lee Gates had a photo shoot for his soon to be released CD at Conway's last night. The record label hired a photographer and Lee put on his best blue suit for the occasion. Great things seem to be happening for Lee and everyone is excited about it! Harvey Westmoreland came down to the jam last night. Harvey lives in Saint Louis now, but he hasn't forgotten his friends in Milwaukee! It was his first appearance at the jam, but he's a heavy hitter. He tore the place apart! Milwaukee Slim and George Stancell were also on hand. Later "The Mix" ended the night with a rousing showcase set!
Happy Halloween! When crazy people dress up in crazy outfits it's going to be a crazy night! Clean Head Mike and Mark dressed up as clowns. (Now we know why some people are scared of clowns!) Jim Richards dressed up as a pumpkin. Gary Lee "Big" Johnson dressed up as Jack Daniels. He spent all afternoon "getting into character" at the bar! Pate "Red House" Raunch was a pimp. There was a hula girl, a condom cop, a rapper, a devil, and an angel, and many more! The winner of the costume contest was Paul for his hilarious Mammogram Machine costume. It consisted of a cardboard box worn over his head with a green electric light on the top of it. The front of the box was open for Paul to see out, and presumably for women to insert their breasts into his face for examination! Everyone who dressed up did a great job! Add in the incomparable sounds of Big Johnson and the Thrusters and it was a night to remember!
Everyone always talks about the ribs that Gary cooks. Mark your calendar! This Friday, October 31st, is the big Halloween Party at Conway's, and Big Johnny's going to be smoking up 32 pounds of ribs just for the event. The Blue Wagon Band will start the night off, followed by Big Johnson and the Thrusters. Get your costume ready. It should be a great night! Speaking of great nights last night at the jam was a corker! Old friends we haven't seen for ages dropped by to say "hello", including Mustang Larry Tele, who came all the way from Las Vegas, Nevada. Making their Conway's debut were Aaron, Jada, Emmit, and Kent, collectively known as Miss Jackson's band (or something like that - email us and let us know the real name!). Whatever they were called they did a fine job, including a highlight, Aretha Franklin's "Dr. Feelgood". Lee Gates was down in Huntsville, Alabama on October 6 and 7, recording a CD. Last night he brought by a test pressing for everyone to listen to. The CD is packed with great guitar playing. Look for this exciting CD to be available soon! Near the end of the evening Benny Reno came by and contributed a wonderful blues about "I may be too old to cut the mustard, but baby I can still lick the jar!".
Saturday night was the premier appearance of Big Johnson and the Thrusters at Colm McCarthy's in Cedarburg. Eileen German, who bought "Stories, Myths and Outright Lies" over the Internet accepted the band's invitation and came down to say "hello". Jim Richards was supposed to be attending his wife's high school reunion, so Wayne the Wolf filled in admirably for him. As it turned out Jim's wife decided not to go to the reunion so Jim stayed home and watched T.V. during the gig. Our new friend Scott sat in for "Mustang Sally" and his girlfriends did a fine job singing backup. "Ride Sally Ride!"
It's a privilege to jam every week. Thanks are due to everyone who comes down to Conway's to support the jam. Whether people come down to sit in or just hang out it makes no difference. It's good to see everyone. Also, thank you Conway's for having us! This week was a great night of jamming with the highlight being the special showcase set performed by the Electric Voodoo Band, including a hot version of "In Memory of Elizabeth Reed". "Big Pete" made his Conway's debut on bass. Pete's a big boy and that bass looks like a ukulele on him! He did a fine job. Milwaukee Slim and Charlie Edwards came down late to round out the night on a great note. No one wanted to stop! Come back next week and we'll do it again!
Doug "Dog House" Raunch won the contest to come up with a nickname for his cousin, Pete Raunch, who is now known as Pete "Powerhouse" Raunch. Since Pete Raunch plays a futuristic style of blues guitar, "Yngwie Ray Malmsteen" will also be accepted as his nickname. Pete "Powerhouse" Raunch should not be confused with Pate "Red House" Raunch. (If "Whorehouse Harold" Raunch starts coming to the jam we won't be able to keep all these Raunches straight!) Joe Blue made a fine Conway's debut singing "Down Home Blues" with Milwaukee Slim backing him up. A full horn complement with two (count 'em, two) trombonists, trumpet and alto sax showed up making the stage a busy place! There was a wonderful audience turnout, great music playing, and it's always a fine evening when Ron Gilbert comes to the jam!
The Cedarburg Wine and Harvest Festival was Saturday, and what a perfect early Fall day for a festival it was; sunny, temperature in the 70's, one last good outdoor festival day for the year. Big Johnson and the Thrusters bid a sad adieu to the Romano's Pizza stage, and all the good friends we made there, and moved to a tent half a block away. This turned out to be a fortuitous switch as there were many more people watching the band in the new location. During the sound check, a problem developed with the bass, but Gary Johnson and his roll of magic duct tape came to the rescue, and soon the bass was as good as new. Then it was show time! Gary Lee "Big" Johnson, whose prior performances in Cedarburg have made him something of a local rock and roll legend, worked the crowd adeptly using his remote microphone. Obviously, cheerfully and admittedly inebriated Big Johnny charmed everyone with his happy charisma and great natural performing ability. The grownups were smiling and the little children were dancing. It was a terrific afternoon!
Last week Jeff Arnold returned to live action. This week our old friend Erica came back! She's been off playing her guitar in a band and doing very well. "L. A." made his Conway's debut on tenor saxophone, and between L. A., Milwaukee Slim and James there was quite a fashion show last night. These guys know how a man should look! Even Rick the drummer had a new hat! Marty and Misha both came down for the first time in awhile. Stacks Edward offered live commentary in rebuttal of his CD review, and made a few suggestions concerning the advisability of continuing "Ned's Critique Corner." The CD reviews were never meant to be inflammatory. Appologies and free drinks are offered to any who were offended.
The Electric Voodoo Band CD is out! It's called "Lay It Back". The Electric Voodoo Band had a gig Friday night at Conway's and Misha brought us copies of the CD as we were loading up to drive to Kenosha. Congratulations to all our friends in the Electric Voodoo Band! Friday night was the first time Big Johnson and the Thrusters ever played at Captain Mike's on the lakefront in Kenosha, WI. Captain Mike's has a lighthouse on the roof and good blues inside, with an open jam THREE nights a week! Charles Hayes, the Delta Blues Hog, was on hand, as were many of Jim and Gary's old friends. Jim Richards was born and raised in Kenosha. In between sets the Big Johnson CD was played over the house PA. Four solid hours of live or recorded Big Johnson and the Thrusters is more than anyone should be subjected to! Photos here!
The bar across the street from Conway's is called the Harp and Shammrock. Al and Kirsten cordially invite all jammers to stop by for a quiet drink in between sets at Conway's. Kirsten is particularly proud of the jukebox at the Harp, which contains many fine Country & Western selections. Conway's has a new sign "Live Blues Tonight" which beckons to passersby on Wells Street in much the same way that a similar sign used to do at Sande's National Pastime. Lee Gates and Stacks Edward held court on the sidewalk discussing proper recording techniques. The Stacks Edward Band is planning to record a live CD at Conway's on November 15. Be sure to come out and support them!
Friday afternoon Big Johnson and the Thrusters played
at the Harley Davidson Reunion at the Summerfest
Grounds. Big Tall Mike arranged the gig as part of
his "Blues Jammers" presentation. Gary showed the
traffic cops our parking passes, and the cops moved
barricades and waved us in like we were big shots.
Once we got to parking lot M there was a van to carry
us to the stage. Festival patrons peered through the
tinted windows to see if perhaps Eric Clapton was in
the van. When we arrived at the stage it was a
beautiful sunny Labor Day weekend, and people were
wearing their Harley T-shirts from places as far away
as Iceland and Beijing, China. We hung out with Clyde
from Sande's National Pastime and Jamming Jimmy for a
while before wandering down to catch part of Jim Liban
and Steve Cohen's set. Soon it was our turn to play.
When we were finished we hung around for a while to
watch some of the jam and look at the Harleys. Then
it was on to Conway's for the evening gig. Big Tall
Mike, Jamming Jimmy, Lee Gates and Stacks Edward all
came down to Conway's. There were some folks from
England in town for the Harley Reunion, and we gave
them Big Johnson CD's to take home with them. So, now
we can boast that Big Johnson CD's are owned by people
in Japan, Brazil, Switzerland, England and are even on
a jukebox on the Scottish Isle of Jura in the
Jura Hotel Bar.
Photos here!
The Harley Davidson 100th Anniversary Celebration has begun and the bikes are everywhere! Last night Bobby's cousin, Fuzzy and his wife came to the jam. They rode their Harleys from West Virginia to Milwaukee, but the people who came the farthest were from Switzerland! Gary gave the people from Switzerland several copies of the "Stories, Myths and Outright Lies" CD to take home to Switzerland with them. It was also birthday night at the jam, and Gary cooked up ribs, chicken wings and meatballs for the jammers. There is now a testimonial from Big Johnson and the Thrusters on the Randy's Recording Web Site. Just go to Randy's site and click on the contacts section to read this scintillating 40-word tribute to our good friend Randy and his fine recording studio.
This is a 5 song CD Blue Wagon intends to use for demonstration purposes. There is good news and bad news. First, the good news: Kenny J turns in a sterling performance. The CD begins with "Hey Bartender". Eight seconds into the tune Kenny J sings "I blew a doobie with all my friends!" Fifteen seconds into the tune Doc Ziggy is chiming in with background vocals on the chorus. The guitar solo swings. Excellent interpretation redeems what might have been a trite song selection. The same observation applies to "T-Bone Shuffle." "Bird's Nest on the Ground" is a rocking blues, highlighted by Doc Ziggy's frantic solo. "I Ain't Drunk" is an amusing vehicle for Kenny J's laconic hipster persona. Here again Blue Wagon makes effective use of background vocals. The final cut is the slow blues "Blues Gambler". Kenny J plays a nice minimalist stop time guitar break in the middle. The pleasure of listening to Kenny J is the greatest strength of this CD. Father John's bass playing complements Kenny J perfectly. TP (Boom Boom)'s drumming is effective also. On the other hand the rhythm guitar playing is obtrusive. Doc Ziggy is a talented musician who plays with exuberance and ability, but without restraint. His guitar tone does not serve him well, and his rhythm playing is too far forward in the mix. The packaging of this CD is well rendered, but contains a minimum of information. This CD should win the band a lot of gigs.
After missing Friday's gig due to illness, Marty Miller returned to action last night. He was still feeling bad, but fortified by a couple of Margueritas and a plate of Nachos from Hector's, Marty was able to make the gig. Father John from the Blue Wagon Band also came down to Conway's for the gig. The Blue Wagon CD is now on the jukebox, and during the breaks we played the it while Father John gave us the inside scoop on putting the CD together.
Last night Marty was too sick to make it to the gig at Mamie's, so Big Johnson and the Thrusters made their debut as a four piece band with Pate "Red House" Raunch as the only guitar player. By the middle of the first set the band started to get comfortable with the new sound. Pate had to work harder than usual, but remember: hard work builds character! And, we all know he's quite a character!
Next week is birthday week at Conway's! Come hungry because Gary will be cooking ribs, wings and meatballs for everyone! Anyone who might be interested in lending a video to Clean Head Mike's Blues Video Theater should contact Mike. Videos will be shown on Conway's big screen TV prior to the jam. Just tell Mike that you have a video and he'll schedule a week for you to bring it in and show it. Brad went out to Speed Queen Barbeque and brought back barbeque for everyone. It was delicious! Father John brought copies of the new CD by his band, Blues Wagon, to the jam. Congratulations to the Blues Wagon guys. Stacks Edward reports, "If you thought our first CD rocked, wait until you hear our second CD!"
Claire celebrated her 22nd birthday at Conway's last night, and she and her friends danced the night away with our good buddy Craig. Jasmine made her Conway's debut on vocals. She sang "Give Me One Reason" successfully, and then asked if the band could back her up on "Summertime." Craig assured her that he loved the Gershwins. In fact, Craig's dog is named "Ira". Craig's dog notwithstanding, it would have been better if Jasmine had known a Jimmy Reed tune. "Summertime" is not a very compatible groove for the old blues jam. It was good to see Melissa again. She sings better every time we hear her. Jim Korn framed the picture of Hattush Alexander that Steve brought down and soon it will hang on the wall of Gary's restaurant next to the pictures of Lee Gates and Milwaukee Slim.
July 30, 2003
He's back in town, that Joostan Brown! We're delighted to see him on his visit back to Milwaukee from Richmond, Virginia. And who's that with Joostan? It's our own beloved Marty Miller! He's come down from Chicago to hang out just like the old days. Conway's has devoted a whole portion of the jukebox to CD's by local musicians. Milwaukee Slim, the Stacks Edward Band, Pee Wee Hayes and (of course) Big Johnson and the Thrusters are now available for your listening pleasure whenever you stop in at Conway's! Best wishes for a happy birthday go out to Wild Bill Wiskerchen, and Jack made his Conway's debut on drums last night. Gary Lee "Big" Johnson is testing cooking times with his smoker, getting ready for his restaurant to open. Hungry jammers would do well to help Gary taste test his experiments. Last night he was cooking corn beef. It was delicious!
July 23, 2003
It's always a highlight when guitar player emeritus Chris Thom makes a rare jam appearance. Even if he won't play, he'll still drink a shot with his friends! Speaking of old friends we don't see often enough, Jim Kay and Tommy Blood came down and started the evening with a beautiful update of a Charlie Patton tune, "Saddle Up My Pony" complete with vocal harmony! Then Jim Kay played his harmonica with Milwaukee Slim on "Mannish Boy". Young Joey Thom surprised everyone with his low down guitar fills behind Milwaukee Slim! Slim brought down a tape he recorded in 1992 with Billy Flynn and the old Muddy Waters band (a.k.a. the Legendary Blues Band). Everyone sounds good, but Slim is so strong the Legendary Blues Band and Billy Flynn have their hands full keeping up with him! Steve from the Estate brought a beautiful photograph of the late Hattush Alexander, the great Milwaukee tenor player, down to the jam. It will probably receive a place of honor on the wall of Gary's restaurant once it is framed. John made his Conway's Jam debut on drums, and Barefoot Matt Ammens made his farewell appearance on guitar. Carrie and Jenny came by to say "hello".
July 16, 2003
Dave the rub-board player from the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival made his debut appearance at the jam. In addition to rub-board Dave also plays the bones. It was the first time either of these instruments have been played at the jam! Stacks Edwards showed off his new business cards, which have a picture of his CD on them. How hip is that? Ed Sr. Gerber ("Tokyo Ed") was back in town and made a special appearance at the jam. He reports that Ed Jr. is going to be a senior in college this fall and is playing in the house band at a jazz jam on the south side of Chicago. (Ed Jr.'s jamming career began back when the Conway's Jam was still at Pa's Place and Ed Jr. was 14 years old.) There is now an official "Photos of the Jam" photo album. Each week new pictures will be added, featuring action shots of the jam. If you come down to the jam, then maybe your ugly mug will someday grace the "Photos of the Jam" photo album!
July 9, 2003
Hello to Misha Siegfried! He's the only person willing to admit to reading the "Highlights of the Jam"! Charles tells the most amazing stories, and Rex lets people borrow his cool hats. George Stancell, Jim Spencer, Wild Bill, Father John, Kenny J., and Arno all celebrated their birthdays last night. It took half an hour to sing happy birthday to all of them! Conway's has a new policy. Once in awhile there will be a mass birthday jam where we celebrate everyone who's had a birthday recently. That way everyone gets a birthday party!
June 27, 2003
Friday night Big Johnson and the Thrusters played at Mamie's, and Sunday BJ&T played at the Cedarburg Strawberry Festival. On Friday night Marty dubbed the Thrusters, "the hardest drinking band in show business." That's kind of catchy! Several new songs were debuted on Friday night, including "Going Back to Vegas", and "'59 Eldorado". Marty and Jim had never rehearsed these songs before. In fact, they had never even heard these songs before! No one knew what was going on. We call that "spontaneity". Sunday was a great day for the Strawberry Fest in Cedarburg. Becky took pictures. Maybe we can get them up on this web site soon! The band promoted every business whose tent was located nearby, hoping that the grateful proprietor would give us complimentary samples of their products. One business, Romano's Pizza treated us to a free pizza at the end of the day! That's Romano's extra delicious hot and tasty pizza. Wouldn't a pizza from Romano's taste good right now?
June 18, 2003
Happy Juneteenth and Happy birthday Jim Spencer! Misha debuted a new composition, "The Siegfried Shuffle". It's an instrumental and very good. Misha plans to record it on his upcoming CD. Conway's is launching a new promotion! Next week at the jam is "Bucket Night"! If everyone who comes to the jam drops a dollar in the bucket, then maybe Conway's can buy an air conditioner!
June 11, 2003
Young Joey Thom has a black Telecaster with a Lee Gates autograph on the white pick guard! Now everyone will want a Lee Gates autographed guitar! Last night at Conway's the audience was treated to performances by George Stancell, Lee Gates, Milwaukee Slim and Stokes. That's like having your own private Summerfest right at Conway's! (For Free!) Jim Spencer brought his friend Marcus down to the jam and Marcus sat in on drums. According to Jim, Marcus went on the road with Julio Iglesias when Marcus was only 19 years old. Last night Marcus got to play behind Milwaukee Slim. That's a long way from Julio Iglesias!
June 4, 2003
Dr. Detroit, Barefoot Matt Ammens has returned for the summer! Matt graduated from Marquette last year and moved back to Detroit to study medicine at Wayne State University. Now he's back in town, and getting a refresher class in the blues at Lee Gates University, a.k.a. Conway's. Gary Gilmore's band is called 3-D, and they played a marvelous showcase set for us. It was a night full of highlights, including multiple performances by Milwaukee Slim and Pee Wee Hayes as well as a sterling set by Lee Gates. Misha debuted a new composition, which went over well.
May 14, 2003
Lee Gates brought his new "Lucy", the guitar he bought from Pee Wee Hayes, down to the jam. Lee already owns 19 guitars, but as any guitar player knows you always need one more. Benny Reno from Benny and the Jets sang a few tunes, as did Pee Wee Hayes and Lee Gates. (What a lineup!) Congratulations to Adam who is graduating from Marquette. Gary and Debbie brought back pictures from Jamaica and Jamaican guitar picks to give out to everybody, as well as some good stories. Gary said that Debbie started doing cartwheels in the bar one night in Jamaica, and that's how Gary knew it was time to take her home!
May 7, 2003
Gary and Debbie went to Jamaica so the jam went on
unsupervised. The first new policy was to declare
every Wednesday as Ladies' Night at Conway's! All
young Marquette women drink for free! Wes (gtr.) and
Pete (drms.) are just finishing their freshman year at
Marquette. They came by last night to jam with Lee
Gates and to say "goodbye for now" since they're going
home to Madison for the summer. Jason came by with
the new CD by the Stacks Edward Band. It's called
"You Found Trouble". Here's a review:
Stacks Edward Band
You Found Trouble
The news is mostly good. The title track has a
rocking groove, but the song lacks song structure,
probably because of a weak chorus. The chorus is so
weak in fact that it's impossible to say for sure
whether there even is a chorus. A chorus should stand
out clearly. A tentative ending doesn't help. The
best song on the CD is "Stand to Crawl", which is an
epic slow blues in spite of its odd title. Who stands
to crawl? The singer howls like a dog with gasoline
being poured over him, and his guitar answers him like
a lit match. The next two songs aren't bad; they're
just a waste of time. "Good Morning Little School
Girl" and "Cherry Red" are cover tunes that the SEB
treats as vehicles for jamming. That's fine for a
live show, but not for a CD. The SEB has songwriting
ability and two more originals should have been
recorded. The next song is called "The Run" (another
odd title). It's built around an infectious stop-time
riff. The chorus isn't great, but with this much
energy it's hard to care. "When I Was Down" is an old
time soul ballad, like James Brown used to sing back
in about 1960, and it's as cool as processed hair. It
sounds like there's even chicks in two-foot-high
bouffant wigs singing "ahhh…" on the bridge! You
Found Trouble comes to a rocking conclusion with
"Telephone Drinking". The album cover art is slightly
amateurish, and the music deserves better. The name
of the band is misspelled on the spine. Overall, You
Found Trouble is a promising debut with strong points
that include songwriting, lead guitar playing, a hip
band and great energy. Weak points include singing,
song titles, and song structure. Hopefully, we'll soon
hear more from the SEB!
April 16, 2003
Last night was the Big Johnson Birthday Bash! There was birthday cake and presents and food and birthday cards for Big Johnny. One or two people might have even bought him a birthday shot! Mike the bass player works as an editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel when he's not anchoring the rhythm section of Kenny Todd's band, and last night he brought a group of his coworkers down to see what a blues jam is all about. One young lady named Becky was celebrating a birthday, so we amended the evening to "the Big Johnson and Becky who we just met birthday bash!" The biggest surprise of the night was Rex's guitar playing. His regular axe is the bass, but Rex revealed formidable guitar playing chops as he and Milwaukee Slim got down in the alley on the old Muddy Waters favorite, "Long Distance Call". The whole bar sang a rousing version of "Happy Birthday Blues," to Big Johnny at 1:55 a. m. and then it was time to go home.
April 9, 2003
How many nights can Milwaukee Slim come to Conway's and bring the house down? Young Marquette students stood agog or boogied in the aisles as Slim tore it up again last night! Slim's explanation is "That's the blues!" It is indeed! Impromptu Dismemberment played a showcase set before Big Johnson got up with a new group of jammers and quipped "we are The Dismembered!" Congratulations to the Stacks Edwards Band who are now hosting a Thursday night jam at Mollica's! Guitar BO reports that his latest custom-made guitar creation is almost ready, and it sounds like it will be a beautiful instrument. Next Tuesday at Conway's marks the return of acoustic jam-songwriter night, and next Wednesday is the Gary Lee "Big" Johnson Birthday Jam! Don't miss it!
April 2, 2003
When told that he was "louder than God," Jason replied, "I asked God. He says he doesn't mind." The joke of the week also comes from Jason: "What do Southern girls say right after having sex? Get off me daddy. You're crushing my cigarettes!" Misha came to his first jam back on August 7, 2002. It was his 21st birthday. Now Misha's in two bands and plays in the house band for the Thursday night jam at the Six Points Club. He jams every chance he gets, and goes to school full time. Last night was the closing jam at Sande's National Pastime. Sande's is gone for good, but there are many great memories left behind. Our best wishes go out to Clyde and Sande.
March 26, 2003
Marty Miller, here, filling in for your erstwhile diarist, Ned Fletcher. The excitement at Conway's begins at around 8:30 with the first few jammers comin' in, and then builds to a fever pitch by 11:00pm. Tonight Marty and Misha played the first set of tunes with Conway, one of the best bassists in the world, holding down Ned's spot and Jim Richards on drums rounding it out. More great musicians for the second and subequent go 'rounds, including Craig on guitar, Milwaukee Slim, guitar Bo, and the rest. What a "happening'" place!
March 19, 2003
Last night was the official Milwaukee Slim birthday jam! Everyone at Conway's is a huge Milwaukee Slim fan, and we are glad that he's our friend! There was cake and food and presents and a birthday card for Slim. Gary, Pate and Ned lead the singing of “The Happy Birthday Blues" in three-part disharmony! Debbie put pictures up of the jammers on each of the tables at Conway's. It's just another gesture to show that we appreciate everyone who comes down to the jam!
March 12, 2003
Look who's in town! It's Joostan Brown! He came all the way from Richmond, Virginia to make a special guest appearance at the old blues jam! Circle next Wednesday, March 19 on your calendar, because it's the Milwaukee Slim Birthday Party Jam! Slim and Lee Gates played a rockin' set together last night. George Stancell comes down to the jam almost every week and one of these times were going to hear his sweet blues singing and guitar playing on the stage at Conway's. Congratulations to Adam on his new job as a lobbyist! He's working for former Wisconsin Governor Martin Shriver. Conway's will be open at 8:00 a. m. on Saint Patrick's Day. For you dedicated revelers who think this isn't early enough, you can start drinking at the Harp and Shamrock across the street at 6:00 a. m.! So get the party started early and then stumble on over to Conway's!
March 5, 2003
Our good friend, Sweet Home Chicago Dave, compromised the bass player's dignity by grabbing both sides of his sweat pants at the waist and pulling vigorously downward until the sweat pants were lying around his ankles! Thank heavens for clean underwear! Pate Raunch announced his engagement to marry the cardboard cut out beer sign of the comely Saint Patrick's Day lass. Adam's band, “Impromptu Dismemberment" played a showcase set in which they dismembered about four tunes.
February 26, 2003
The countdown to recording is T-minus 48 hours and counting! Big Johnson and the Thrusters practiced for the last time before the jam. Marty was a little worried about his guitar parts, which are still new and unfamiliar, but Pate reassured him that it didn't matter because he would be given all new parts on the day we record! John and Rex and several of the other jammers were very complimentary about the new songs and were quite generous with their good wishes. Thank you men! It's always good to see tall walkin' cool talkin' Milwaukee Slim come into the bar. When you see him coming you know it's going to be a good night! Guys like Lee Gates and Slim make the jam something more than it would otherwise be. Jason said, “I learned from Lee Gates. He slowed me down." Jason is a fiery young singer-guitar player-songwriter with the Stack Edwards band. He says his older brother told him “play whatever kind of music gives you the chills." So Jason plays the blues, and he is uncompromising that he will make audiences like it. Good on you son!
February 22, 2003
Congress has declared this the Year of the Blues (beginning February 1, 2003). Performing their patriotic duty live and lowdown from Sande's National Pastime it was Big Johnson and the Thrusters! Sande's is the best place to hear the band and Friday was a let's-play-all-night-and- not-take-any-breaks blowout! 11 out of 13 songs from the first CD were played at least once, and some of them were played a second time by request. 5 out 7 of the songs from the upcoming new CD were played also! Gary Lee “Big" Johnson tried his best to live up to his reputation and drink up all the Jack Daniels Whiskey in the house!
February 19, 2003
What's happening to all the music stores in Milwaukee? Warp Drive Music is getting ready to close and Walker Music and Mars Music have closed in the last three months. One of the jammers has a theory: it's easier and cheaper to sell music merchandise on e-bay instead of through a conventional music store. There is no rent to pay, no employee salaries, no utilities, no insurance etc. Is this the future? Who knows? At the jam it's always 1952! Ron Gilbert made his heroic return jamming with the New Orleans boys on everybody's favorite song: “Teeny Weenie Meanie". It's a song about a lady. And not just any lady, but a lady professional athlete! And not just any lady professional athlete, but a lady professional midget wrestler! My little Teeny Weenie Meanie! Put that hammerlock on me!
February 12, 2003
It's Mardi Gras time in New Orleans, and it's party time at Conway's! It was Wild Bill and Sandy's wedding anniversary and Sandy's birthday party! Wild Bill and Sandy sang “Mustang Sally" together and enjoyed the best wishes of everyone. There was birthday cake and a deli tray and birthday and anniversary cards. Congratulations Wild Bill and Sandy on six big years together! We had a group of New Orleans cats show up at the jam last night. They even played “The Mardi Gras Mambo" for us, which earned them a round of shots! Ethan, Dan, Jay and L. G. have a gig playing New Orleans music down at Potowatami Bingo and Casino. Jay has played drums with the Jazz Messengers, Wynton Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr. He has studied with Max Roach. He says he likes all music, but he likes Dixieland better than Bebop. I need to buy more Dixieland records! Charlie made his Conway's debut on harmonica and Jeb made his debut on keyboards.
January 29, 2003
Several members of the Wisconsin Blues Society came down to the jam last night. The Society is a non-profit arts organization that supports the blues. Wisconsin blues fans can get in touch with the WBS by writing to Wisconsin Blues Society, Ltd., 2613 S. 51st Street, Milwaukee, WI 53219. Their newsletter is a great source of information on the Wisconsin blues scene! In addition to the Wisconsin Blues Society there was a plethora of blues talent on hand last night at Conway's, including Milwaukee Slim, Lee Gates, Pee Wee Hayes, George Stancell and the Misfits blues band. What a lineup! The jammers are getting so good learning from these experienced players that every band sounds interesting and unique. Guys like Misha, Clean Head Mike, Jim the bass player and John the bass player just get better and better every week, and new guys like Derek (drums) and Robert (gtr. & vcl.) keep the music new and fresh. Wiley old hands like Lee Gates keep coming up with new surprises. Last night Lee was on fire! Jason showed up and sang about his woman leaving him so convincingly that he scared everyone! You won't find music like that on “American Idol"! You've got to come to Conway's to get it!
January 15, 2003
It hardly seems possible, but as of last night the jam has been at Conway's for three years! Lee Gates has a new web site that our friend Dave made for him. When Lee was asked how people could get to his new site, Gary Johnson shouted out “you just drink five shots of whiskey, walk down a dark alley and you're there!" Dave brought his video camera and shot Lee and Milwaukee Slim tearing the place up. Pate's second cousin, Pete Raunch made his Conway's live performance debut playing guitar. He played so well that after he was finished we fired Pate! Another guy named Pete made his debut playing drums.
January 10, 2003
Peter Pitch and the people who work at Miss Katie's Diner at 19th and Clybourn sure know how to throw a Christmas Party! It was probably the last Christmas party for this year, but what a night it was! A brief outbreak of fisticuffs during “Sweet Home Chicago" in the first set couldn't dampen the Holiday spirit. The combatants were quickly separated and nobody was hurt. In the excitement one guy had his shirtsleeve nearly torn off. Soon Gary Lee “Big" Johnson was wandering around the whole bar blowing his harmonica and singing “I've Got My Mojo Working" while women danced on the bar stools. Thanks to everyone who bought shots for the band. If someone buys us a shot, then we'll play their request! Our new friend Bonnie brought her harmonica, and played a featured solo! Everyone loved it! Ed Ross took pictures and with luck the pictures will appear on the web site soon!
January 8, 2003
Happy New Year! After a three week Holiday Hiatus, the blues jam returned to live action last night at Conway's! The always enjoyable Milwaukee Slim played a thrilling set of down in the alley blues. Milwaukee Slim sings “I'm a man. I spell M-A-N." He is indeed. Lee Gates on guitar and Saint Louis Tim on drums were helping Slim sound so good! We also had the man in the two-tone shoes, Mr. Pee Wee Hayes, sitting in and singing about how two heads aren't necessarily better than one. A man's got a big head, and he's got a little head too. The little head gets him in trouble! Robert made his Conway's debut on guitar, and Tim Smith's friend Allen from Texas was there. Welcome to Milwaukee Allen! Lee Gates announced that he's starting a new web site, and that next week he will be bringing a video camera to take pictures for his web site at the jam. So get your one good suit out of pawn and come down to Conway's!
December 14, 2002
Can your heart stand the excitement of two big shows in just two days? You had to be at Conway’s on Friday and Sande’s on Saturday to find out! Our new friends Steve and Sharon made it down for another full night of high-energy blues and that’s more Big Johnson and the Thrusters than anyone should have to put up with! It was good to see our old friend, Dave Connelly, who we don’t get to see often enough, as well as our old friend, Tim Smith, who we get to see all the time! Wayne Wasserman was also on hand. Remember, Wednesday is the Lee Gates-Ed Ross birthday party jam. Don’t miss it!
December 11, 2002
Be sure to mark your calendars. This Friday, December 13, is the Christmas Party at Conway’s. There will be free food, drink specials, and two bands, Big Johnson and the Thrusters, and special guests, Blues Wagon. Then next Wednesday, December 18, will be the Lee Gates and Ed Ross double birthday party extravaganza, featuring special guest stars Bill Stone on guitar and Jim Kishline on bass. Many blues luminaries will be in attendance that night so don’t miss it! Speaking of Lee Gates, there was a nice article about him in Monday’s Milwaukee Journal. Visit the Journal’s web site to see it. If anyone needs a rhythm guitar player who can also sing please contact Dave Kelley at (414) 453-7459. Bennie DeKoven from Bennie and the Jets sang a tune for us. The highlight of the evening came at the end of the night with a Lee Gates and Pee Wee Hayes guitar duel. At the end they were cussing each other out by making their guitars talk!
December 4, 2002
Misha impressed us all with his new leather buckskin jacket, and his new appellation, “Sitting Jew”! Big Goofy Mike reports that his favorite gym to lift weights in is Bally’s on Layton Ave. because the strippers from On The Border work out there. Don’t hurt yourself trying to impress them Mike! Big Johnson and the Thrusters now have music downloads available on this web site. Check it out!
November 22, 2002
Friday night Big Johnson and the Thrusters were at Mamie's. Our new friend Ralph came up and helped Pate Raunch sing "Early in the Morning." Blues celebrities in attendance included George Stancell and Stokes. Afterwards Stokes regaled us with stories of playing with Elmore James, and shared tips on why Peavys are his favorite amplifiers. Marty has big new plans for this web site, so be sure to check in often!
November 20, 2002
Congratulations to Jason, Guitar Bo and the rest of the Stacks Edwards Band on the release of their new 3-song CD! It’s called "You Found Trouble". The band sounds tight and there’s plenty of hot blues guitar playing! It’s hard to believe that this promising band has been together for less than six months. Lee Gates took us to school with a fine set. James "the teeth" Cosey was resplendent, setting a fine example for why everyone should own a pair of snakeskin cowboy boots. Thanks to everyone who came down to Conway’s, and don’t forget to check out the Songwriter Showcase every Thursday night!
November 13, 2002
Someone said that there are no less than six blues jams in Milwaukee on every Wednesday night! It’s great to see that the blues are alive and flourishing with so many places to play and so many new young players coming out to jam. We had some fine young players, like Misha and Wes, sitting in with us, and some old familiar faces, like Marty Miller all the way from Chicago, playing too. We appreciate everyone who comes to the jam, whether to play or listen, and we appreciate Conway’s for making it possible. See you next week!
November 6, 2002
Young Joey Thom carries on the proud Thom family guitar playing tradition. When Pate Raunch was asked why Joey's uncle, Chris Thom, no longer carries on this tradition, Pate replied, "I don't know. Maybe his, ah... thruster fell off!" Gary Lee "Big" Johnson received a lesson in Thruster appreciation while trying to sing "Hey Bartender" with a group of jammers who were unfamiliar with the tune. It was good to see our old friend Justin (Joostan) Brown, who was in town all the way from Richmond, Virginia.
November 3, 2002
Saturday night was a great night at Sande’s National Pastime, Milwaukee’s home of the blues. The crowd was large and enthusiastic, and the band kept playing, so that the party never stopped! The first set lasted two hours and forty-five minutes! The first recording session for the next CD is coming up soon, and we performed several of the new songs for the first time. They seemed to be well received. By my count we played 14 of our own tunes, which is a new record! Wild Bill and Sandy, Doug Raunch, Becky, Bobbie, Sweet Home Chicago Dave, Wayne, Rob, and John all came down. John was excited because his band, Blues Wagon, had played their debut gig earlier that night at Conway’s. Congratulations John!
October 30, 2002
It was the Conway’s Halloween Party Extravaganza last night with free food, costume contest prizes and of course, great music! Gary Lee "Big" Johnson cooked up 30 pounds of delicious smoked ribs, and unveiled his latest creation, smoked chicken wings! We were honored by visits from old friends from across the country. From Las Vegas, Nevada it was good to see our old friend, Mustang Larry Tele, and all the way from Detroit, Michigan came the Doctor of the Blues, Barefoot Matt Ammens! The jammers’ favorite Halloween Costume was Guitar Bo who came dressed up as Lee Gates! Lee didn’t seem to mind, and he even played a set of blistering blues guitar to highlight the evening. Harmonica Hank and Cory the guitar player made their Conway’s Blues Jam debuts. Watch this web site for pictures of the Halloween Party and winners of the Costume Contest.
October 23, 2002
Next Wednesday is Halloween and everybody should dress up for the Blues Jam Halloween Party! Conway’s offers generous prizes for the three best costumes. (I’m coming as Lee Gates!) George Castro made his Conway’s debut on guitar and vocals. George is an old friend of Pate’s, and music fans may remember his band Castro’s Cuban Missile Crisis from a few years back. Chris made his Conway’s debut on bass, and told us some fascinating stories about hanging out with John Entwhistle and the Who. Bibette made her debut on avant-garde vocals. It was good to see our old friend Conway Powell again.
October 16, 2002
It was "Manhattan Night" at Conway’s, and no one mixes a finer Manhattan than our good friend, Ed! Bobbie came down with Sweet Home Chicago Dave. John announced that his new band, Blues Wagon, will be making their live debut at Conway’s on November 2, as the opening act for the Stack-Edwards Band. Jim Spencer and Misha also play in Blues Wagon, and Jason and Guitar Bo play in the Stack-Edwards Band. Ed also makes a fine Old Fashioned, a tasty Tom Collins and a cool Cosmopolitan, all of which are even MORE reason to come down to Conway’s on Wednesday nights!
October 9, 2002
Happy Wedding Anniversary wishes to Mr. Jim Richards and his lovely wife Barb! Pate Raunch asked the question that’s been on everyone’s mind: "Does Milwaukee Slim buy the guitar first, and then buy the matching outfit, or does he buy the outfit first and then buy the guitar to match?" Slim says the outfit comes first. You’ve got to look cool before you can sound cool! In other news our good friend Tom Harger has started a blues jam out in Colorado. Congratulations! Tom travels around the country playing the blues wherever he goes. You can visit his web site at www.BluesClown.com to learn more about what Tom’s been up to. It was good to see Fred Smith again!
October 2, 2002
For a couple of weeks now Gary, Pate and Ned have been getting together before the jam to work on arrangements for new songs. Jim and Marty will be joining them soon, and a recording session to begin the new CD will follow shortly after that. The highlight of a wonderful evening of blues was Bill, Arnold, and Joe on Trombone, Trumpet, and Tenor wailing soulfully together. The horns really add a new dimension. Pee Wee Hayes dropped by, and Milwaukee Slim treated us to a set as well. It was good to see our friend Mike from Green Bay again. Don't forget Songwriter Showcase every Thursday at Conway's!
September 27, 2002
It was good to be back at Mamie's again. The people there really like the blues. Our friend and mentor Lee Gates came down and sat in with the band for three or four numbers. Lee and Marty had a nice guitar workout. At the end of the night Lee and Gary sang a duet version of "I've Got My Mojo Working". It was Karyn Ross' birthday, and our good friend Ed took her to Koerper's Five O'clock Club for a fancy dinner before taking her out to hear the band. Tim Smith sang a few numbers from the album with us, and everybody signed Karyn's birthday card. A good time was had by all!
September 25, 2002
The band Old English started the night off with a showcase set. Afterwards Lee Gates gave them a few instructional comments. Wes made his Conway's live performance debut on guitar. Jim Spencer made his singing debut with Bo Diddley's "Road Runner". (Beep Beep!) Jim is putting a band together with John the bass player. They may need players! Later Milwaukee Slim came by and laid some heavy blues on us.
September 21, 2002
Downtown Cedarburg is picturesque and quaint; a perfect place to hold a festival, and Saturday was the perfect day for the Wine & Harvest Festival. It was a beautiful late summer/early fall day with just a touch of color in the leaves. The band set up next to Romano's Pizza and advertised pizza so much during the gig that Mr. Romano bought two CD's and treated everyone to pizza! Gary used his cordless mike to do as much singing as possible from McCarthy's Pub across the street. Barb and Jenny took pictures of the show, so look for them right hereon the web site!
September 6, 2002
Probably the best place to hear Big Johnson and the Thrusters is at Sande's National Pastime, at least it was Friday night. The band was hot! If you couldn't be there Big Mike took pictures. Maybe we'll post them on the web site.
September 4, 2002
The blues jam entered its eighth big year last night with Tim Smith, Big Mike, Wild Bill, Craig and Carol unveiling their new band "Uncalled For" with a showcase set. Be sure to visit Carol's website Doug Raunch made his Conway's live performance debut on background vocals. Acoustic songwriter night is now underway on Thursday nights at Conway's. Remember: if you have too much fun at the jam on Wednesday night and you don't remember what you did, you can always read about it here!
August 28, 2002
Guitar Bo announced that he played his first real gig last Saturday. Congratulations! Tim Snodgrass made his debut on drums. Tim just moved to Milwaukee from Saint Louis and he's a good drummer, who's looking for a gig. Charlie also made his debut on drums!
August 21, 2002
Where can you hear Lee Gates, Milwaukee Slim and Pee Wee Hayes all in one place on the same night? Last night you could have heard them all at Conway's and it wouldn't have cost you anything! Big Johnson and the Thrusters were mentioned in the current edition of Dirty Linen Magazine in the new releases section! Who knows? They might review our record in the next issue! You will see it here if they do!
August 14, 2002
Lee Gates brought his brand new guitar down to the jam and it showed off all the new tricks that Lee Gates has already taught it! Danny Spencer, Jim's brother, came all the way from Phoenix, Arizona to visit Jim and play bass at the jam. Jason the drummer also made his Conway's live debut. A BRIEF STORY: Alexis and I were in line at a Wendy's drive up window in Chicago on Monday night about 11 p. m. when a car pulled up behind us. The driver had the volume on his car stereo turned up loud and a throbbing bass was audible. Alexis said "I hate it when people do that!" Then she grabbed a Big Johnson CD and hopped out of the car. I watched from the sideview mirror as she approached the other car, and after a brief conversation she gave the driver the CD in exchange for a dollar. She got back in the car and we pulled up to the drive up window. Moments later the throbbing bass started up again from the car behind us, but this time I recognized the song as "15 Bucks & A Bottle of Beer" from the CD! It looks like we have a new marketing plan for the CD!
August 7, 2002
It was one of the most beautiful nights of the summer and a great night at the old Blues Jam! Tim and Susie Smith were on hand to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary! Our congratulations go out to them! Ed Sr. Gerber is moving to Tokyo permanently, and he came by one last time to say "goodbye" and blow harmonica. Several new jammers joined us including Robert from Rockford (guitar), Misha (guitar) and Ken (guitar and vocals). Misha is putting a band together and he's looking for players. If anyone's interested please come down to the jam next Wednesday. Conway's will be inaugurating a new Songwriter's Night starting Thursday, September 5. Further details will be forthcoming.
July 31, 2002
It was the Wild Bill's Birthday Jam! Everyone signed the birthday card and had a piece of birthday cake in honor of our good friend Wild Bill! Luminaries in attendance included Lee Gates, Reverend Raven, and Pee Wee Hayes each of whom played a stellar set. Brent made his Conway's live performance debut on guitar, and he brought a table full of friends all the way from Germany with him! Wilkommen!
July 24, 2002
Last night we had a couple new fans all the way from Knoxville, Tennessee come to Conway's for the jam. Apparently people in Knoxville know how to party! We were glad to have them!
July 17, 2002
Many thanks to Mighty Studly Richard from the Sore Back Brigade! Richard has agreed to help set up and tear down equipment before and after the jam! We had a group of blues fans that came down to the jam for the first time last night. They sat up front and requested Magic Sam and Howling Wolf numbers all night. It's always good to see new faces, particularly when they like the same music that we like!
July 10, 2002
There was so much talent present last night that Conway's could barely contain it! Where else can you hear so much great music for free? Our friend Joe looked resplendent in his backwards-black soft cap, his high sheen red shirt and his two-tone spectator shoes! He used to be a baseball cap and tee shirt guy, but there he was jamming with Lee Gates, sounding good and looking cool! Joe recommends Goldman's Department Store as a source for those who are seeking to "bluesify" their image. Damon White lead the performance highlight of the evening: "Them Changes", featuring Craig on guitar, Mike from Green Bay on bass and Wild Bill on drums, but there was outstanding music all night long! The always-wonderful Milwaukee Slim was wonderful again! He will be appearing Thursday, July 18 at Jazz in the Park on Cathedral Square. Admission is free, and it's a beautiful setting to hear some great music. Thanks to everyone who came down and thanks to Conway's for having us!
June 26, 2002
A few weeks ago Chris the bass player started trying to put a band together at the jam. This weekend his new band, which is called the "Stack-Edwards Band" will debut at Conway's! Congratulations to Chris and best of luck! Anyone else who wants to get a band together can find plenty of fine talent to pick from every Wednesday at Conway's! This week's highlights included Ron Gilbert singing everyone's favorite song about lady professional midget wrestlers, "Teeny-Weeny Meanie"! Our good friend Pete Ryan came all the way from Kenosha to play for us! Dave made his Conway's live performance debut singing "If You're Looking For Trouble"! There's no jam next week due to the Fourth of July Holiday, but we'll see you again in two weeks. In the mean time buy lots of blues records!
JAM SESSION STANDARDS
Would you like to jam? Here are some standard tunes
that might be good to know how to play or sing:
1) SWEET HOME CHICAGO (MAGIC SAM VERSION)
2) STORMY MONDAY (T-BONE WALKER, BOBBY BLAND OR THE ALLMAN BROTHERS VERSIONS)
3) I'VE GOT MY MOJO WORKING (MUDDY WATERS VERSION)
4) HOOCHIE COOCHIE MAN (MUDDY WATERS VERSION)
5) BIG BOSS MAN (JIMMY REED VERSION)
6) HELP ME (SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON VERSION)
7) ROCK ME BABY (B. B. KING VERSION)
8) THE THRILL IS GONE (B. B. KING VERSION)
9) CROSS CUT SAW (ALBERT KING VERSION)
10) BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY (JIMMY REED VERSION)
11) YOU GOT ME RUNNING AND HIDING (JIMMY REED VERSION)
12) TORE DOWN (FREDDY KING VERSION)
13) KILLING FLOOR (HOWLING WOLF VERSION)
June 19, 2002
It was the first real warm summer night of the year and it was a great night to be at Conway's! Celebrities in attendance included noted motorcycle enthusiast Fuzzy Jay and his lovely girlfriend Katie. Alex Wilson, Lee Gates and Wild Bill previewed Alex' upcoming gig at Conway's this Friday with an impressive set of hot tunes! Scott made his Conway's live performance debut blowing some wild blues saxophone! It was good to see our old friends Conway Powell and Steve Vitale! Thanks to everyone for coming and thanks to Conway's for having us!
June 12, 2002
This week at the jam Jim Richards unveiled his brand new conga drums! Guy made his Conway's live performance debut on guitar and vocals, and Galen made her Conway's live debut on background vocals! The Quote of the Week award goes to the boss man, Gary Lee "Big" Johnson (he actually said it at the Homeless Blues Festival): "Big Goofy Mike may have a six-pack stomach, but that's nothing! I've got a whole quarter barrel!" Look for pictures from the Homeless Blues Festival have been developed and will be on the web site soon! (As soon as the little old webmaster gets around to it!) Thanks to all the fine musicians who came down Wednesday, and thanks to Conway's for having us!
It was a beautiful sunny afternoon in West Milwaukee for Sande's National Pastime's 3rd annual Homeless Blues Festival! This year's all star jam was hosted by Big Johnson and the Thrusters and featured wonderful guest appearances by an enormous array of talent including Tommy Blood and his sweet slide guitar, the ebullient Blues Harp Jimmy, talented bassist and vocalist Carol Hanzel, the outrageously unpredictable Jammin' Jimmy, Shufflin' Don Amby, Chicago Dave, Jimmy Kay, the legendary Lee Gates and his red hot guitar, Jim the Boogie Man, Manfred the harp player, Tina Michaels, our good friend Tim Smith, California Red, Little Jimmy from the Blackbirds, Warren Ziech and his down home harmonica, Founding Father of the Blues Jam Steve Nitros, Steve-O and Jeff from the 50 grit blues band, our good friend Big Goofy Mike, Rex the bass player, Jim the bass player, Alex and Tom Wilson. Whew! Everyone played great, and the music was consistently wonderful for eight solid hours! The highlights of the afternoon were a young unknown vocalist named Carol who brought the house down singing an incendiary version of "Steam Roller Blues", and the House Rockin' Blues Revue with Dave Connelly, Kevin and the one and only Kenny Arnold laying down some Hound Dog Taylor and Elmore James favorites in the old Chicago style. (Big Johnson and the Thrusters played a tasty set too, if I may say so!) The music was great, and all those Harley Davidsons shining in the sun looked like works of art! Mike and Linda from Second Day Productions did a yeoman's service running the sound. It was great to see everybody! Thanks to everyone who helped to make it a wonderful afternoon, and thanks to Clyde and Sande for having Big Johnson and the Thrusters as hosts to such a splendid collection of talent. Look for pictures of the Homeless Blues Festival in the photo section of the web site soon!
June 5, 2002
Thanks to everyone who came down and made it another great jam, and thanks to Conway's for having us! It was good to see Ed Gerber Sr. who came all the way from Tokyo, Japan to blow his smoking blues harmonica! Vocalist Ruthie from Chicago made her Conway's live performance debut singing the old Gloria Gaynor hit "I Will Survive!". Come back anytime Ruthie, but please learn some blues songs! The best-dressed award goes out to Ed Ross for that lovely tiara. Remember to come out to the Homeless Blues Festival this Saturday, June 8 at Sandes National Pastime, (51st and National in Milwaukee). There will be lots of great blues talent and Big Johnson and the Thrusters are the host band! The music starts around noon and goes on all day! Don't miss it!
May 29, 2002
Happy Birthday Debbie Thatcher! "P" made his Conway's debut on bass and keyboards. Damen White brought in his impressive collection of vintage vacuum tubes. Tom Harger came all the way from Colorado to play his guitar and sing for us! He took pictures and he invites everyone to see them by visiting his web site at www.BluesClown.com. The finest of many great musical performances was Milwaukee Slim and Lee Gates closing out the night together. How about that? Where else but Conway's can you see this kind of talent for free? If you play or sing or just want to hang out come on down to Conway's every Wednesday night!
May 23, 2002
Happy Memorial Day everyone! Congratulations to our good friend Matt Ammens who has been accepted to medical school! Matt is turning his back on a lifetime of drunkenness and starvation as a musician in order to become a doctor. Someday he may cure the rest of us from our lifetimes of drunkeness and starvation! Frank made his Conway's live performance debut singing "Hound Dog"! Thanks to everyone who came down to the jam, and thanks to Conway's for having us!
May 14, 2002
We appreciate everyone who comes down to Conway's and supports the Jam! The Glad to be Alive Award goes to John the bass player who made his Conway's live performance debut playing with the formidable Lee Gates! Debbie Thatcher wins the Fashion Consultant Award for throwing away Lee Gates' baseball cap! Ron made his Conway's live performance debut on guitar and vocals. Bald Mike brought in his collection of rare posters. Celebrities in attendance included pool shark and guitar king Lee Gates, a Milwaukee legend for 40 years Kenny Arnold sitting in on drums, the big boss man Mr. Gary Lee "Big" Johnson, and noted restaurateur, Peter Pitch of Miss Katie's Diner fame. Stephanie the Bartender and her thirsty choir win the Creative Mooching Award for singing this bit of doggerel to the tune of 'The Old Gray Mare Ain't What She Used To Be': "Here we sit like birds in the wilderness, birds in the wilderness, birds in the wilderness. Here we sit like birds in the wilderness. Ned won't buy a shot. Cheap! Cheap!" Wild Bill reports that Sandy Wiskerchen is feeling much better. Thanks to Conway's for having us!
May 9, 2002
Some nights the music is better than other nights. Last night was a religious experience! The Misfits featuring Milwaukee's best bass player, Mr. Thomas "Hump" Humphries got up and played a real nice set of hot blues. Then Milwaukee's best guitar player, Mr. Lee Gates got up along with Alex Wilson on guitar, Andres the bass player from Reverend Raven's band and Bald Mike on drums. Lee Gates "had church" as the old folks say, and it was wonderful! Congratulations to all the graduating Marquette students! Emily sang "How Blue Can You Get?" with her father, Tom making his Conway's debut on guitar and vocals. He did a fine job! Our best wishes for a speedy recovery go out to Sandy Wiskerchen. We had a special showcase of the Marquette band, "Blue Tooth". Thanks for coming guys! In fact, thanks to everyone who came out and made it a special evening and thanks to Conway's for having us!
May 6, 2002
Thanks to WMSE for having us!
On Monday, May 6 Big Johnson and the Thrusters were
featured playing live in the studio during the 4
o'clock hour of the "Blues Drive" program on radio
station WMSE (91.7 FM). It was pledge drive week at
the radio station and the band was happy to help raise
money. The set list included 5 original tunes from
the Big Johnson song book, "You Made Me Cry", "Ooby
Doo", "Dayrise This Morning", "I've Been Deceived",
and "Fifteen Bucks and a Bottle of Beer".
Billy the engineer did a great job mixing the sound,
and station manager Tom Crawford was wonderful as the
post performance interviewer. In fact, everybody at
WMSE made us feel right at home. Check for pictures
of Big Johnson and the Thrusters' in studio
performance on the
WMSE web site!
May 1, 2002
As always thanks to everyone for coming down, and thanks to Conway's for having us! Tim Smith made his triumphant return! Jim the saxophone player made his Conway's debut! The Musical Innovator Award goes to Gary Lee "Big" Johnson for interpolating the lyrics of "Stormy Monday" into the tune of "Hoochie Coochie Man". We call the result "Hoochie Coochie Monday"! The Notable Quote Award goes to Sylvester the harmonica player for saying: "That Lee Gates sure talks a lot of trash, but man can he back it up!" (That's why we shamelessly kiss his butt!) Conway's is located at 2127 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI. The phone number is 414 344-1262. Jam time is 8:00 p. m. every Wednesday. Come on down!
April 24, 2002
Thanks to everyone for coming! Thanks to Conway's for having us! Steve the guitar player made his Conway's live performance debut! The best-dressed award for the night goes to James "The Teeth" Cosey! Notable personalities in attendance included the best guitar player in Wisconsin, Lee Gates, Pee Wee Hayes and his lightning bolt guitar, Marvelous Mack and his 2-toned shoes, the founding father of the jam Steve Nitros, and of course the big boss man, Gary Lee "Big" Johnson. Our warmest wishes for the best of luck go out to our good friend Tim Smith who's heading to Las Vegas to find fame and fortune! Chris the bass player is putting a band together and needs good players. If you're interested let him know! Conway's is located at 2127 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI. The phone number is 414 344-1262. Jam time is 8:00 p. m. every Wednesday. Come on down!